


Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop

by GiveMeYourGravy



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Alternate Universe - College/University, Inspired by Music, M/M, Music, live performance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-12
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-05 02:26:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/717802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiveMeYourGravy/pseuds/GiveMeYourGravy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam is an oblivious college student who can only think about his studies and next test. </p><p>Niall is a struggling artist who managed to get himself a regular gig at the local coffee shop. </p><p>Will their eyes ever meet? Is Liam just a face in the crowd to Niall? Is Niall just a blur to Liam with his on-the-go lifestyle?</p><p>Niam Love Story (with possible side Zarry if you're nice to me)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:**

> Please, DEAR GOD! Read this one shot Jen wrote a while back. I've been begging for a good Niam and I've now been begging her to take this great opener and turn it into a chapter fic. She won't listen to me...so, even though I've got so many fics going on myself. I have a Niam brain baby formed and I desperately need to deliver. The first chapter WILL be eerily similar to the one shot, minus the POV change, but don't be so quick to judge, because it's hopefully going to be good, yeah? If not, we'll just knock 'er down and pretend she never happened. Wish me luck! and read this bitch! > http://onedirectionfanfiction.com/viewstory.php?sid=50600
> 
>  __  
> I never knew just what it was  
>  About this old coffee shop I love so much  
> All of the while, I never knew  
> All of the while, all of the while it was you  
> -Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg  
>   
> (I'm going to say that Niall wrote the above song FOR Liam below and I would adore if you would just smile and nod at the cuteness of it, yeah? Thanks :D)

\--Niall's PoV--  
I thought I'd be more nervous when I got this gig at the coffee shop once a week. I'd sit down on the tall brown stool after setting up my mic and even opening up my guitar case for tips, purely optional, and usually it was only spare change. I would take my place and start to strum. Usually, I'd just be strumming aimlessly until my fingers decided what song I was going to play, then my mouth would follow. 

Everything was all sunshine and roses until he started coming along. I was never able to get a good look at him and he always seemed to look through me, but he'd stolen my heart and made it his the moment my eyes fell on him for the first time. 

He made it hard to focus on my chords or the words. Sometimes, I would end up just humming along and I'd have to force my eyes closed. I'd grown used to being invisible, nothing more than background noise to him, but he still made me incredibly nervous. If I'd been standing, my knees would probably have turned to butter and I'd have just died right, collapsing at his feet and begging for mercy. 

 

The day we met, err....I saw him for the first time. I had been singing some Tell Him He's Yours by Michael Buble. 

**  
_Flying around in a jet_  
** Champagne and limos you bet  
Laughin' and having some fun  
Though he's not even the one 

 

When he smiled softly at my singing, I almost stopped to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I had finally gotten my breathing under control when I'd heard Katy Perry's Teenage Dream come bursting in the middle of my little jam session. I saw the dream boat across the room flush slightly as he reached for his phone to silence it. Then, just as fast as he'd appeared in my life, he was gone again. Or so I thought..

*

He ended up showing up various times where I played all my newest covers for him. He never ever looked at me, so I would gauge whether or not he liked it on the size of his smile when he listened. If he got that little crinkle in his brow, then I was to never play it again. However, if he was grinning like a school boy seeing his first pair of knickers, I usually made it a regular bit in my set. 

*

I'd been getting close with the barista, Harry lately and had filled him in on my unreciprocated infatuation with the brunette. The last thing I expected him to do, was tell me about him. His name was Liam. He came here after his Law class and left with barely enough time to get back for his Psychology course.

That explained why he always had his nose nearly smashed against his laptop everyday. He was a studier, a bookworm...I really shouldn't have found that sexy...

Harry told me how Liam liked his coffee and how he was always nodding his head to my music, but glancing up at the ceiling from time to time as if it was something from the radio, not a live performance. 

So, he wasn't ignoring me on purpose? He thought I was famous? That's a mighty big compliment, but I'd rather have his eyes. 

*

It nearly killed me when the dark haired chap joined my...I mean Liam one day during my set. I'd stopped playing for a moment and just stared. I adjusted my blue snapback on my head and tugged at my white shirt. It was a struggle to even swallow my own saliva my throat had suddenly grown so dry. 

I wasn't even aware how tense I'd been until I felt my shoulders relax when I started strumming.

He still didn't see me, but I saw him. He was everything. When he was in this building, sipping is java and tapping away on his keyboard, I lived and breathed him. 

I opened my mouth and started strumming again. This time, I was strumming the chords to my own song. I usually only did covers and I could see the look of confusion cross Harry's face when it wasn't something he immediately recognized. 

I shrugged lightly and opened my mouth to sing.

**_"I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you._  
** Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you.  
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, I wanna come too.  
I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for yo-" 

He'd looked at me. We were making eye contact. My fingers tangled in the strings and I forgot how to speak. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn in embarrassment. _Great fist impression, you cunt_. I couldn't help but scold myself, I could have possibly just ruined my chances when they'd really just begun. 

I heard Harry's laughter, calling out to me, judging me. My eyes moved to him as he clutched his stomach. "Killin' me" I mumbled in the microphone before looking back over to Liam and his mate/boyfriend. 

I couldn't stop myself from shooting the dark haired Adonis a nasty look. I didn't even know Liam, and I felt like he was mine. It really wasn't fair! The boy smiled softly and laughed before sipping his coffee again. 

My eyes flickered back over to Liam. My blue meeting his brown when he lifted his head to look at me again. A smile suddenly broke out across his face and I couldn't help but smile back at him, revealing my braces to the world as my cheeks flushed. 

I slowly started strumming and singing again. My song was a lost cause now, but it had done its job. I broke out into my rendition of Teenage Dream for the upteenth time that month and I saw him laugh. Probably remembering his embarrassing phone tone, same as me. His cheeks flushed and adorable pink and I was drowning. 

He was seeing me. I still couldn't get over it. 

 

**_You make me, feel like I'm living a teenage dream. The way you turn me on._  
** I can't sleep, lets run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back!  


He bit his bottom lip again and never took his eyes from mine. He even somehow managed to carry on a conversation with the dark-haired boy across from him for a little while as he stared at me, but eventually the boy gave up and moved on to talk to Harry. 

I wasn't going to lie and say I was disappointed...


	2. First Day of My Life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This is the first day of my life_
> 
>  
> 
> Swear I was born right in the doorway
> 
> I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed
> 
> They're spreading blankets on the beach
> 
> Yours is the first face that I saw
> 
> I swear that I was blind before I met you
> 
> Now, I don't know where I am
> 
> I don't know where I've been
> 
> But I know where I want to go
> 
> -First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=11gm25v)  
> 
> 
> Be sure to read the chapter end notes and if you want to hear the song that inspired this chapter go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW-4nWkx7Uk

**\--Liam's PoV-- ******

********

"Liam, LIAM!" a voice called my name and I finally turned to face the boy in front of me. "You were saying something, Zayn?" I asked him. 

Zayn, my good friend from school, sighed. "I've been talking your bloody ear off for a good five minutes and you haven't heard a heard a word? I get that the bloke's a good singer and not bad on the eyes either, but shit" my friend chuckled and leaned back in his seat. 

I shrugged and looked back down at my Psychology homework, even though my eyes were practically screaming to go back to the pretty boy by the microphone. How had I been coming here five days a week for two months and never even noticed him? Had I really shoved my head that far up my arse all this time?

"What were you saying?" I asked Zayn for a second time. 

Zayn laughed again. "I asked if you knew whether or not Harry was into dudes. He says you two are good friend and when I flirt with him, he certainly flirts back, but I've noticed he flirts with everyone. Probably for tips, the cheeky prick" Zayn smirked. 

Zayn was _really_ one to talk. He was a waiter at one of those restaurants that only fat business men and the rich and lonely lives of said business men attended. And they usually came at two totally different times. My bisexual best friend could tell exactly which business man was wearing that ring as the ultimate disguise and he would flirt with whoever he could to get the best tip at the end of the night. I still loved him though. 

"Thank you, good sir" I heard a thick Irish accent from across the cafe say softly. Yet, I'd somehow managed to hear it? I glanced over at the pale blonde boy with the guitar again and saw him smiling at a man who had just dropped some money into a guitar case. So, he was Irish? My smile grew again. He had braces too, that really should have been a turn off, shouldn't it? Aren't boys with braces usually around sixteen or younger? No, Harry's boss only allowed people that were at least eighteen to work here at all, even for entertainment purposes. So, he was at least eighteen. 

I licked my lips and looked away when he saw me staring again. Shit! I had to stop doing that! Or I had to at least stop getting caught. I could feel my cheeks flushing and I silently cursed myself. 

"Harry's bisexual, like you"I finally announced to the table, a little louder than I should have.

I heard a raspy chuckle as my curly-headed friend came over. He forced Zayn over and draped his arm across the boy's shoulders as he removed his apron. "Why don't you just announce it to the whole, damn cafe, you wanker" he joked and winked at me. 

I blushed again and looked away from the two of them, back at the boy playing the music. 

"So, you finally noticed him, eh? Poor kid's been like a love sick puppy. Staring at all infatuated like" Harry smiles. 

I rubbed the back of my neck, starting to grow uncomfortable with the conversation topic, but Harry was really my only source of information on the guy without going up to him and just introducing myself and...I'm pretty sure I'd made a big enough ass out of myself already. 

"What's his-?" I started, but Haz held up a hand to silence me. 

"His name is Niall Horan. He's nineteen. Irish. Drinks constantly, because he's Irish and why not? He will eat you out of a house and home. Oh, and he's still staring at you. Yes, he's gay" Harry sighed. "Anything else?"

I simply shook my head no and tried to focus on my laptop again, with my electronic textbook still open on the screen. 

"Yeah, I have a question. Do you want to go out sometime, Styles?" Zayn suddenly asked. 

Harry laughed and stood. "You're cute, Malik. You're going to have to come up with a better line than that though" he said before walking away. 

Zayn smirked and watched Harry leave the table and get back to work. "I always do love a challenge" he sighed happily. 

The alarm on my phone went off and I reached for, but Zayn grabbed the phone from me. "The hell!?" I snapped.

Then, he stood and grabbed my laptop. "Your belongings and I are going to wait outside. You're going to go introduce yourself to Irish. Especially if you want your stuff for class. And don't think I won't take your junk home with me and use it for myself. I'm not giving it back until you talk to him. I'll be watching, Payne" he smirked and left the building. 

I glared at him as he disappeared and then turned my eyes to Harry. He was laughing behind the counter. I couldn't help but think that he'd had his hand in this somehow too. Cheeky bastards...

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and slowly moved towards the little stage in the corner where the boy...er...Niall was playing. 

His eyes widened a bit when he saw me. I just stood there awkwardly for a moment, before pulling a large bill out of my pocket and dropping it into his case. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out, so I turned and made my way towards the door. 

"If you're gonna give me that much money, you'll at least let me take you out for lunch sometime, right?" I heard his accent breathe into the microphone and I almost melted to the floor right there. 

I turned towards him slowly. "When are you free?" I asked him. 

"Is now too soon?" he asked immediately. 

I gulped and looked around at the cafe. Every eye was on me and it was dead silent. You could literally have heard a pin drop. 

All thoughts of Law Class, Psychology Class, and Zayn holding my possessions hostage were long forgotten. All I could think about was how I was figuratively drowning his blue eyes. 

I contemplated how to word my answer, but even after a good bit of silence and thought...all that came out was a simple squeaky "Yeah."

Niall grinned and flashed those braces at me again and my heart swelled. 

I didn't even hear Harry laughing this time as the boy set down his guitar and hopped off the stage, making his way towards me. I couldn't help but feel like this was the first day of the rest of my life.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you liking how the story is turning out so far!?
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, kudos'd, commented, and bookmarked so far! I didn't expect anyone to like this story this much so soon! Keep doing all of that! It's REALLY encouraging.  
> xXKenzie
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=10elnb4)  
> 
> 
> 'Tis only the beginning my luffs


	3. Wanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _You don't think you're special_
> 
> You don't think you're strong
> 
> But when the sky is falling
> 
> You feel like you belong
> 
> And I don't know if I could help you
> 
> You could tell me all you need
> 
> It's alright, you're wanted
> 
> Tonight it's alright
> 
> You're wanted
> 
> -Wanted by Rachel Diggs
> 
> Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1OWbEmvoY

**\--Niall's PoV--**

I watched the boy's face change from one of worry to one of relaxation as we left the coffee shop.

I'd been excited to get out of there too, the way Harry was staring at us was kind of ridiculous. He looked like the cat that caught the canary, and I'm pretty sure that he thought of himself as a regular Cupid.

I'd asked Harry to try and hook me up with Liam a while ago, but that was back when I thought that I was invisible to him. Now that I knew Liam knew of my existence, I hadn't had a problem asking him out on my own. Harry had never been needed unless he'd been talking me up without my knowing. The reason I'd never just approached the brown-eyed Adonis was because I didn't want to scare him off by approaching him out of the blue.

So, now here I was walking to Nando's with my hands in my pockets and him walking with me. I'd offered to take Liam to a nicer place, but he'd insisted that if I tried to, he would insist on paying half of the bill for himself. So, I was taking him here. I mean, at least he was accepting that this was a date and that I was paying for it, some men fight you on that. Well, he was at least that I was paying. We'd never verbally stated it was a date. I didn't even know if he was straight or not.

When we made it to Nando's I'd reached out to open the door for Liam. Unfortunately, he'd beaten me to it and stolen my idea.

He smiled at me and I smiled back. "Thanks" I mumbled shyly and stepped inside. Since when had I ever been a shy guy? This was so unlike me! There was just something about him that made me nervous. Not nervous in a bad way.

I went to the counters with him following me close behind. The girl behind the counter smiled at us kindly. "What can I get the two of you today?"

I nodded at Liam and he smiled and stepped forward towards the register. "I'll have the Beanie Burger" he grinned. I smiled at his decision. The beanie burger was a cheddar cheese, chickpea, and sweetcorn burger, stuffed full of lentils, garden peas, and pumpkin seeds. It was one of my personal favorites.

The woman held her hand out for money and I cleared my throat. "I'll be paying for both of our meals" I said and smiled at Liam. Liam grinned back and moved to find a table.

I watched him walk away before turning to the girl. I had to think about my order for a moment. This was my favorite fast food restaurant and I ate here multiple times a week. So, usually, I didn't have a problem ordering. This time was different for me though, Liam was with me and I didn't want to make a fool of myself by ordering too much or too little.

"I'll have your peri-peri chicken" I finally decided. The chicken was two amazingly delicious chicken breasts, seasoned greatly.

I waited off to the side for a bit after paying. I didn't want to go to find Liam just to have to turn around and leave him again.

It was only after I'd gotten the food that I turned around to see Liam patiently waiting for me in the corner booth. That booth was the farthest away from the noise of the other eaters' conversations. We'd have the most privacy there too. It was exactly the spot that I would have chosen.

I moved in next to him and offered him his food. Liam took it with a soft smile and started eating it. I actually forgot about my food and my own hunger. I was mesmerized by how he ate.

He would chew each bite carefully and wouldn't swallow it until it was surely nothing more than a tasteless mush in his mouth.

He would lick his lips after every bite and close his eyes when he did it, as if savoring the passing flavor. It made me want to kiss him. I could just imagine him licking his lips after kissing me and smiling at me lovingly.

When Liam's adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed each bite, I had to close my own eyes. I was trying my best to do this right. No matter how much I may want to jump him, I can't.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, do you like it? Yes, no? Should I keep going? Let me know in the reviews.
> 
> I hope you liked it even though it was short. 
> 
> xxKenzie


	4. Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I remember when, I remember_
> 
> I remember when I lost my mind
> 
> There was something so pleasant about that place
> 
> Even your emotions have an echo in so much space
> 
> And when you're out there without care
> 
> Yeah, I was out of touch
> 
> But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
> 
> I just knew too much
> 
> -Crazy by Gnarls Barkley (Covered by Melanie Martinez
> 
> Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OBnKRnbQbM
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=29dk17b)

\--Liam's PoV--

We'd walked all the way to Nando's in silence and I was pretty sure I was to blame for that. I was new to the whole dating scene, really. Especially when it came to dating men. I'd only ever come out to my parents. My dad took it the worst, but had eventually recovered and moved on from it. It had taken him a year and a divorce from my mother to come to terms with my sexuality, but he'd managed to move on. 

Mum hadn't reacted much better, but she had at least understood that this was my life to live and I could live it however I chose to.

My mum had told me later on that she'd always suspected that I was a homosexual. It took me a long time to explain to my mother that loving Toy Story wasn't the big tell tale sign that I was into dudes.

The only thing that had kept my mum from asking me about my sexuality was the girlfriend I'd had until I graduated from high school. Her name was Danielle. We'd started in year ten. Our relationship had been a joke, at least to me. I hadn't wanted to continue to listen to my mates on the football team tease me for being a virgin that had never dated anyone before. Danielle was interested in me because of who my friends were. It just worked for us.I'd grown to love Danielle, but not in the way she desired for me to love her. Danielle, to me, was a friend that I had sex with occasionally. She always talked about us getting married and having babies together. I'd never had the heart to tell her that I wasn't even sexually attracted to her. How do you tell someone that you have to mentally prepare yourself to fuck them so that you can get a woody? Answer: You don't. 

The day of our high school graduation, Danielle dumped me. She dumped me because I didn't propose to her. I honestly didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like she was pregnant. She'd never even told me she loved me in our entire two year relationship. She'd even cheated on me with half the basketball team! Had I dumped her then, no.

It didn't really matter though. By this time, I'd come to terms with my sexuality. And without her around to confuse me and others, I told my parents.

Niall and I reached Nando's and I saw him move towards the door. Was he going to try and open it for me? How cute! However, I was very firm on being the man in these kinds of scenarios. I side stepped in front of him and reached the door before he could, holding it open for him to step through. I shot him a soft smile and he smiled back. It was nice, even without us talking, you could feel the chemistry we so obviously shared.

I'd never been here before, but the way his eyes lit up when we walked through the doors, I knew he was a fan of the joint. Part of me wanted to just straight up ask him what to order, but I didn't want anyone making a big deal out of it. I followed him to the counter and ordered the first thing I saw that I could recognize as human food before leaning in and telling him I'd go find us a table.

I found us a booth in the far corner, somewhere private. It had been about a year since I'd been on a date, which I think this would be considered a date since I let him pay, and the only thing I remembered was that privacy was key. I stared at him for a few moments while he stood at the counter, debating on what to order. As much as I tried to focus on anything else, my eyes kept falling towards his arse. It was round, but firm. The type of bum I wasn't used to seeing on a man. I liked it though, it was the type of bum that you wanted to squeeze while they were riding you from ontop and-

Okay, that was enough with the dirty thoughts. I needed to get my mind out of the gutter or this would be my first date and my last with Niall.

Niall finally arrived with the food and I was relieved to look at a side of him besides his back. That was an unsafe view. It made me feel dirty. It made me feel naughty. It made me feel crazy. Those were not the kinds of adjectives I wanted to be using to describe myself right now.

I took a tentative bite of my food and decided then that I liked it, hoping he didn't hear the soft groans of pleasure I made when I ate. By the way I was being stared at by him though, I knew my wish hadn't been granted. 

Niall licked his pink lips as he watched me eat, obviously unaware of the fact that I was watching him out of the corner of my eye as well. I think he'd completely forgotten about his food because of me and that fact was one that made me smile some. The slower I ate, the more he wiggled a little. Was it possible to turn someone on from eating? I wouldn't know, I'd never been turned on by watching others eat before. Maybe he was just into that sort of thing?

No. It was more than possible to be turned on by watching others eat. It wasn't some sort of kinky thing that only weirdos liked. Unless, I was a weirdo. That was also highly possible. When Niall lifted that chicken towards his mouth, closing his blue eyes as his braces clad teeth bit into it, a small part of me died of happiness.

Another part of me got extremely hard. This was going to be a long date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=2i9idjc)
> 
> How do you think the story is progressing so far? I want honest feedback guys! I know its short , but I have a longer part coming. I'm just tired and didn't want you guys to have to wait anymore for it
> 
> Thank you all for reading and giving me feedback. You're amazing. 
> 
> xxKenzie


	5. Iris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _And I'd give up forever to touch you_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
> 
> You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
> 
> And I don't want to go home right now
> 
> And all I can taste is this moment
> 
> And all I can breathe is your life
> 
> And sooner or later it's over
> 
> I just don't wanna miss you tonight
> 
> And I don't want the world to see me
> 
> 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
> 
> When everything's made to be broken
> 
> I just want you to know who I am
> 
> -Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
> 
>  

**Niall’s PoV**

Liam and I finished our meal in a mostly comfortable silence. This was something I was completely unaccustomed too and I wasn’t quite sure if it was truly a good or a bad thing. I was so used to having to carry on an entire conversation with a person so that I didn’t feel awkward. Sitting her with Liam, I didn’t feel the need to do so. I just ate in peace and probably stared at him a little too much.

When we did talk in between our bites, Liam told me all about his lawyer and psychologist parents that wanted him to follow in one of their footsteps. He also mentioned a sister named Ruth, who was apparently a medical student. She wanted to be an ER Doctor. More power to the girl, in my opinion. It now made sense to me why he always looked so focused and stressed when I would see him at the coffee shop. Liam had quite a lot to live up to and so much at stake. No one wants to be the disappointment child. I should know that better than anyone

Liam and I finished our prospective meals. I stood quickly before he could and dumped our trays of leftovers and unwanted scraps into the garbage bin. I turned back to him and smiled softly as I moved back to him. He stood and took my hand in his.

I felt my cheeks turn a bright red color. I was turning into a tomato before his eyes, and I knew it. I let him guide me out of Nando’s. I was more nervous now than I was when this date had begun.

“So,” Liam started after we had walked aimlessly for a few minutes. “I have to run to Zayn’s because he has my cellphone and my laptop, but can I walk you home or something?” Liam asked me.

I froze, unable to move anymore. He wanted to walk me home? He couldn’t do that. I’d never be able to see him again if I let him see the place I called home. This was my one chance with him and I couldn’t let it be thrown away by his sweetness and sensitivity. As great of an offer as his asking to walk me home was, I knew that he would run from me faster than my family had if he did.

The flashback came before I could stop it.

_My mum, dad, brother Greg, and I were sitting at the dinner table. We were all hunched over our plates of ravioli and garlic bread. No one was speaking .Dinner was always like this for us. I had to tell them, right?_

I couldn’t put it off any longer. I’d put it off for years. I was sixteen years old, for fuck’s sake and I’d been keeping it to myself since I was thirteen. They had to know. It wasn’t fair to them or to myself if I kept it quiet. “I’m gay.”

I heard the clatter of my mother’s fork hitting the plate. Her eyes were wide with shock and she was the opposite of pleased. She looked angry and even a little bit frightened. “How could you be so selfish, Niall James Horan?” she growled at me.

I winced. I should have known she wouldn’t react well. I shouldn’t have expected her to understand me. I wasn’t a golden boy like my older brother Gregory. I wasn’t the star of the football team or a straight A student. I had absolutely no shot at becoming valedictorian when I graduated. In fact, I doubted I’d even graduate. I was on the fast track to failing out of high school. My parents had no problem vocalizing the shame they had for me. This was just going to be the cherry on top for them.

My dad stood and grabbed me by the color of my shirt, forcing me to stand whether I wanted to or not. I stumbled as he grabbed me. My eyes stayed shut tight. I couldn’t look at him, wouldn’t look at him. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re pathetic and useless” he growled at me. That’s what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to show him how much he had hurt me, both with his words and with what I knew would be coming. It was what he always did to me when I fucked up, according to him.

I braced myself for the blow to my gut that would surely be coming. No, I never saw it coming. He punched me right in the eye, causing me to crumble to the ground. The pain was too great. I wanted to cry. No, better yet, I wanted to die. I slowly rolled onto my back and finally looked up at him.

I closed my eyes when I his spit landed on my face. That’s what I was to him, garbage on the floor. He hated me just as much as I had grown to hate myself because of him. “Greg, Maura, go finish your dinners on the porch” the man I called dad, commanded of them.

Instead of defending me, the rest of my family stood with the dinners and moved outside. My father lowered down next to me after he had finished giving me the beating he thought I deserved. “I want you out of my house. If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. You are no family of mine.” With that, he stood and left me, lying there on the ground.

It took me a few minutes to recover. Everything on me was in pain. I knew walking was going to be difficult, but I knew it was what I had to do. I slowly forced myself into a standing position. I crawled up the stairs slowly, knowing I needed something if I was meant to survive. I stuffed a duffel bag with as much clothes as I could and then stole money from my father’s drawer in the dresser. I knew it was wrong to steal, but if he was expecting me to survive, this was my only hope and I knew it. I went down the stairs and stuffed some bread and snacks into the remaining space of my bag and left out the front door.

That was the last time I ever saw them again.

“Niall, Niall?” Liam asked me and grabbed onto my shoulders, shaking me from my flashback. I looked up at him, my blue eyes meeting his. “Are you okay?” he asked me.

I licked my lips and nodded. “I’m fine, Liam. So, I’ll see you later?” I asked him with a hopeful look in my eyes.

Liam grinned and nodded. “What’s your phone number so that I can get ahold of you for a second date?” he asked me honestly.

I laughed lightly. “I don’t have a phone.”

Liam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Someone without a cellphone in 2013? Wow. How am I supposed to get ahold of you?” he asked me honestly. It was a valid question. I understood why he was asking me it, but I doubted he’d like what he’d hear.

I shrugged lightly at him. “I’m at the coffee shop almost every day. You’ll see me around” I told him and kissed him softly on the cheek.

Liam blushed at my words and my actions and smiled softly. “Okay then, I guess I’ll see you later then” he said softly.

I nodded. “I’ll see you later” I said and watched him walk away from me.

I waited until he couldn’t see me anymore before making my way down the nearest alley and settling in with the people that I called my neighbors.

I’d run out of hotel money a long time ago. I was a beggar now. This was my life. I’d accepted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=21lpyf4)   
> 
> 
>  
> 
> How are you guys liking the story so far? Is it good? Is it bad? Please let me know in the reviews!
> 
> Thank you for being such great readers! I love you guys!
> 
> xxKenzie


	7. Intoxicated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _In a room full of frozen faces_
> 
>  
> 
> In a moment of fractured time
> 
> We eclipse in conversation
> 
> As the words pass us by
> 
> With you, we could be the only ones here
> 
> 'Cause I think you're from another World
> 
> And I, I couldn't have another girl
> 
> 'Cause you, you make me feel like I'm intoxicated, toxicated
> 
> -Intoxicated by The Cab
> 
>  

\--Liam’s PoV--

Niall and I had been hanging out whenever we could for over a week now. I would go to my morning classes, stop by and see him at the café while he played, go to my afternoon classes, and then he and I would hang out some more. We were inseparable.

When we went out, we would take turns paying for the other. We may as well have been dating, we went out enough. They were kind of dates, but neither one of us wanted to be the one to put a label on it. Once you put a label on something, things got ten times scarier.

Today, I’d headed to the café to meet Niall after my last class of the day. He was just finishing up packing up his guitar. I moved to him, hands in my pockets. “Make any good tips today?” I asked him with a soft smile.

Niall grinned at me and shrugged. “Not too bad, but it wasn’t anything special. Just another day at work I think.” He picked up his guitar case and pocketed his tip money. “What’s the plan now?” he asked me.

I thought about it for a moment. I had a big test coming up, but I still wanted to spend time with him. There was a part of me that didn’t want to deal with any time apart. “I need to study, but would you want to come over to my flat? We could make dinner and watch some television.”

Niall’s smile only grew wider. “Yeah, I’d like to come over. Maybe I can help you study too?” he asked me.

Next thing I knew, I was unlocking the door to my flat with Niall Horan by my side. I followed him inside as he took in his surroundings. I was beginning to wish that I’d decorated my place a little bit better. My whole flat looked like it had been decorated by my mother. That was because it had been, though.

I headed straight to the kitchen and went through what I had to cook with while Niall took a seat on my counter tops. I finally decided on garlic mashed potatoes, parmesan encrusted chicken breasts, and green beans sautéed in salt and butter. He had mentioned loving potatoes at one point, so I thought this might be a good way to impress him.

I couldn’t help but glance at him as I cooked. The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to be with him. I knew it was crazy, but this was who I was. When I looked at him, he was staring right back at me. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. We desperately wanted to kiss each other. I licked my lips and cleared my throat, tearing my eyes away from his gaze, and returned to cooking our meal.

Once I finished the cooking process, I plated the food up and handed him one of the dishes. “What would you like to drink?” I asked him as his fingers brushed mine.

His fingers were no longer touching mine when the dish left my hands. He shrugged as he hopped off the counter, careful not to spill any food or drop the plate. “What have you got?”

“Is beer alright?” I asked him. It was either that or water with my limited fridge stock, so beer was the better offering, I thought.

Niall grinned. “You read me like an open book. Beer sounds great.”

So, I tossed him a beer and we moved to the living room. We ate in silence. The only noises you heard were the sounds of our forks scraping the plates and occasionally Niall making a sound of pleasure from how good he found my cooking.

When we finished, Niall volunteered to take our plates and wash them off in the sink so that I could start with my studying. I appreciated his helpfulness more than he knew. It was beyond sweet of him. He was more of a sweetheart than he was willing to admit.

When he returned, I was knee deep in studying for the hardest test of my life. The amount of pressure I was getting towards becoming either a doctor or a psychologist was more than intimidating.

“Liam, could I talk to you for a second?” he asked me as he sat down next to me on the sofa.

I could tell he was uneasy when I looked up from my textbooks to meet his worried eyes. “Sure, Nialler. What’s up?” I asked him, pushing the book to the side so that he knew he had my full attention at that moment.

Niall took a deep breath and opened his mouth just to close it shut again. I could tell he was struggling with whatever he wanted to tell me.

I had just opened my mouth to tell him to take his time when I felt his lips press to mine.

>  
I was in absolute shock, but I was also in heaven. I had wanted this since the moment our eyes had first locked. I couldn’t explain my attraction to him to anyone, not even myself. He seemed to be the only one that understood, but it took me up until this moment to figure out for sure that he felt the same way about me that I did about him.

I finally remembered how to kiss someone back and softly pressed my lips back into his. His lips were softer than I’d imagined and I slowly parted my lips to give him more access to my mouth. Our kisses grew more heated and I forgot all about my studies and what my parents wanted from me at that time.

It was so easy to get lost in that mouth of his. It was so easy to forget about all of the things I needed to do in the next few hours and focus only on what he could give me. Happiness. He could give me happiness, which was better than any fucking career my parents could choose for me.

“Liam James, what the bloody hell are you doing?” I heard an older male voice say from across my flat.

I tore my mouth from Niall’s and gazed across the room. Standing there in a full suit was my father and he looked less than pleased. In a matter of seconds, I’d gone from a happy young adult male back into a young boy who feared his father’s wrath.

I cleared my throat and my eyes fell to the floor. “Dad, this is Niall. Niall, this is my father” I introduced, my voice hoarse from all the rough kissing only seconds prior.

I looked up at my Dad again. His face was contorting into disapproval and disappointment.

I was in deep shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first: In regards to the photo at the beginning of the chapter. You're welcome. ;P
> 
> How are you all liking the story so far? Am I doing good? And I know it's slow moving, but I have a lot that needs to get done and I'm definitely trying. Feel free to leave feedback
> 
> I really hope you all stick around and keep reading!
> 
> Also, I recently updated my story Locked Out of Heaven and be on the lookout for a new addition in my one-shot series! It's gonna be great.
> 
> xxKenzie

**Author's Note:**

> So, did you like it?
> 
>  
> 
> Love, Kenzie xx  
>   
> Who wouldn't want to hook up with the cuteness? Come on!!!


End file.
